Pages

My Blog and I

My name is Diana. I am the blogger behind Offbeat Vagabond. I just
wanted something to help me rant on about things I love or don't quite
love. I am big on books, especially Urban
Fantasy, it is my favorite genre. Any Romance has to be Paranormal,
because love isn't natural without a gun and a beast involved. Although my tastes are very much expanding, I have discovered a love for Contemporary even BDSM (shocking!) I love
movies. Sci-fi/Fantasy/Horror/Action, pretty much anything as long as no
Romantic Comedies are involved (Katherine Heigl, you have been warned).
Music, TV, Wrestling are all my things as well (although I haven't been watching Wrestling as much as I used to). I am doing this for fun. I want to
write on a professional front, so blogging is a good stepping stone for
me. I just hope that stone doesn't have moss and I slip and break
something. So join me in my little piece of the Internet and remember,
it is normal to be abnormal

Summonari don’t
trust. Under their command, they summon any number of creatures from the
Otherwolds—but never trust them outside of the summoning.Gargoyles don’t love. Fierce descendants of dragons, they function on power and fear—never love.Karla isn’t the happily-ever-after type of girl. No territory-hungry guy is going to stick flags all over her unclaimed grounds.Kann’s
world is death and betrayal. As Dar Primus of Haus Varis, he’s expected
to follow tradition but he’s not your regular gargoyle. In fact, he’s
anything but.

One fateful Friday night, Otherworlds collide.
Stuck together in one world or another, Karla and Kann face everything
from Awakenings and turbulent love to Festnavals and bloodthirsty
scorned suitors.If there’s one thing they can’t escape, it’s the addiction to each other. And they’ve got it bad.

This is definitely the kind of read that makes a booklover like me drool. How could I resist? How awesome would it be if one of your favorite characters from one of your favorite series just appeared in your bedroom? Oh, the many scenarios that come to mind. But it may not be all that great for Karla.

Karla just received an ARC from her best friend for her birthday. She stays up reading and ends up sleeping on the book which cuts her. That drop of blood along with one little wish summons a very powerful and sexy gargoyle right out of her book. Problem is, he happens to be the villain of the story and he wants to eat. I mean really eat her, but he also has a certain pull to her he can't explain. They have to team up to try and figure out who would want him summoned if not Karla and why. They also must try not to kill each other or fall for one another.

I really had a blast with this book. This story was quite imaginative. Olteano definitely has a knack for creating incredible worlds. I love her take on gargoyles and other supernatural beings. It was amazing. The story was well paced and really focused on the connection between Karla and Kann. I loved the push-and-pull between them. Karla lived a pretty quiet life. She doesn't expect much out of it considering her bleak family history. So she only has her one friend named Mike and her books. But everything changes when she makes the innocence mistake of sleeping on the new book. This summons Kann the gargoyle from her favorite series. He is an absolute pain and scary. He eats bears for breakfast. Frakking bears! But she can't fight the attraction to him. But she knows she doesn't possess any power, so how did he end up with her? How did he end up in her world and how can she send him back?

Karla was a great lead. I loved her sense of humor from the get go. The "war cannon" boobies nearly killed me. She is realistic and isn't holding her breath for Prince Charming. I really liked her. And Kann, oh Kann. He was the ultimate Alpha male. He was too cocky for his own good, but to be fair, he had every right to be. I loved the scenes these two shared. They had me fanning myself one second and laughing like crazy the next. They were more alike than I think either of them realized and it was great seeing both of them break past their barriers. I loved and I can't wait to see more of them. They were a real treat. I love finding New Adult Paranormal Romance reads. There seem to be more in the Contemporary genre, which I love, but still. I love Olteano's world. The gargoyles, vampires, elves, dragons (oh, the dragons) and much more. This book had me at the edge of my seat. I was dying to find out what was going to happen next and uncover the mystery especially with Karla. The family thing couldn't have been a coincidence, right? I loved this book a lot. It had everything I could ask for. Highly recommended.

Livia lives
in Europe where she listens to obscene amounts of music and devours
every reading material in sight. When she’s not doing either of the two,
she fiddles with anything remotely customizable within reach.

Elizabeth
Kemp never thought she'd ask friend and colleague, Preston Lancaster
to be her submissive. Even more surprising, he agrees – on one
condition: she has to return the favor. Her two weeks as his Domme
end with a dramatic climax she wasn't prepared for – she's
hopelessly in love and terrified he'll break her heart.

Dr.
Preston Lancaster has been in love with Elizabeth since the day they
met. His two weeks with her are more than he ever imagined, but when
the tables are turned, she refuses to make good on her promise to
reciprocate. Preston isn't giving up without a fight, but he's not
fighting for two weeks of dominance anymore. He's fighting for
forever.

Can
Preston convince Elizabeth that her heart is safe with him – or
will two weeks be all he has?

*********************************************

About Siren Allen

Hi, my name is Siren Allen.
I’m a writer and lover of all things erotic and romantic. I reside in
southern Mississippi where I write steamy romances that are guaranteed
to make you blush. When I’m not listening to the characters in my head
and jotting down their adventures, I am busy working as a Clinical
Laboratory Technician.

I love to travel, preferably with my
husband, so he can do all of the driving. I enjoy time with my family,
who are just as silly as I am. I have no children…yet, wish me luck! My
hobbies are reading, writing and shopping, though I hate trying on
clothing. If I wasn’t a writer or a Laboratory Professional, I would
probably be a Secret Agent. But that’s the beauty of being a writer; you
can create your own world and be whoever you want to be. In my
imaginary world, I am Queen and my siblings are my minions.

Nick Carlisle comes to
Hawaii to hide—from what happened during his service in Afghanistan,
from relationships, from his future. Lyndsey Anderson came to Hawaii to
hide too—from the man who abused her, from the sacrifices she made, from
her dark past. But when Nick meets Lyndsey, Hawaii gets a whole lot
hotter, and they find they can’t hide their hearts. As Nick fights to
come to terms with what he’s done, Lyndsey struggles to forgive herself
for the choices she’s made. But when the dangerous past threatens the
beautiful present, can they survive to learn how to love? And who will
finally reveal what’s hidden?

Selena Laurence loves to write
romantic stuff that helps you get away. Life can be a grind, and things
like jobs and kids and dirty dishes make Jill a dull girl – and Selena
too. So, she writes about hot guys and smart girls and exotic locales to
give us all an Escape from the Everyday.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

OBVB: Welcome
to Offbeat Vagabond, Emily! Can you tell us a little bit about
yourself?

EQ: Thank you so much for having me. A little bit about me? I love to
read, write, and travel (when I can).

OBVB: When
did you realize your love for writing?

EQ: It’s
been several years now. I’ve been reading romance since I was 14
years old. Then, took up writing back in 2006 and pursued it to some
extent. It wasn’t until 2012 that I decided to increase my efforts
to become a published author.

OBVB: What
first attracted you Contemporary Romance?

EQ:I
wanted to write something I could relate to and contemporary does
that. I read a lot of historicals/regencies but I don’t think I
could write them.

OBVB: What
authors influenced you when growing up? Who is on your nightstand
right now?

EQ: Well,
I have many authors. Jude Deveraux is at the top of the list but I
read a variety of genres/sub-genres. On my nightstand at this moment
I have “Complete Me” by Julie Kenner.

OBVB: One
Wicked Nightis your
second book, right? Can you tell us what the book is about?

EQ:Yes.
One Wicked Night is my second book. It’s about two professionals,
both at the top of their game, and both with a crush for the other.
Pursuing their interest at work is out of the question and so they go
to this exclusive dating service. Here’s the blurb:

Angel Jones
is a career driven woman at the top of her game. But, she has a
problem: a wickedly handsome boss. Getting her boss out of her mind
is proving impossible. When her friends talk her into using someone
else’s invitation to an exclusive dating service, it’s a dare she
can’t resist.

Fernando
Durante knows lusting after someone at work is not an option. He has
managed to avoid direct contact with her for years, the thing is the
witty goddess now reports to him. Keeping his hands away from her is
too hard a task. When a friend emails him an invitation to an
exclusive dating service, Fernando doesn’t play with the thought
too much and accepts against his better judgment. What they think is
best may not be what they really want. Will Angel and Fernando let
their hearts guide them?

OBVB: What
was the most challenging thing you had to face when writing your
book?

EQ: The
main sex scene wasn’t working. Something was missing and I played
with it until I decided to step away for a few days. Then, I listened
to a song and suddenly I was inspired. 

OBVB: How did you celebrate when your
work was published?

EQ: Dinner
at the beach with the husband and kids.

OBVB: Were
there any characters more challenging to write than others?

EQ: They’re
all challenging. Especially because this book introduces the
characters for the rest of the series and I had to ensure I would
only give enough information about them without taking the story away
from Fernando and Angel.

OBVB: I know you fall in love with
every hero you read about. Who is your absolute favorite and why?

EQ: My
absolute hero is Colin from A Knight in Shining Armor. He’s that
kind of hero I never forget, and I’ve read many but he’s the one
who remains stuck in my head LOL.

OBVB: If
you can write any book outside your genre, what would it be and why?

EQ: If I
ever did, I’d try my hand at a regency romance but I’d have to
think about that for a long, long time.

OBVB: Is
there anything you must have or do when you are writing?

EQ: When
I’m writing my first draft, I must have music. When I’m editing I
must have peace and quiet.

OBVB: Last
but not least, are there any other projects you are working on?

EQ: Yes.
I am finishing Wicked Game (book two in the Wicked Series). There is
another project I’m working on under a different pen name and I
hope to be able to share news about it soon.

OBVB: Thank
you so much for coming by Emily. Hope to have you here again.

Angel Jones is a
career-driven woman at the top of her game with a big problem: a
wickedly handsome boss. It is impossible to get him out of her mind, so
her friends talk her into using someone else’s invitation to an
exclusive dating service. It’s a dare she can’t resist.

Fernando
Durante knows lusting after someone at work is not an option. He has
managed to avoid direct contact with her for years, but thanks to a
recent promotion, the witty goddess reports directly to him. When a
friend emails him an invitation to an exclusive dating service, Fernando
accepts against his better judgment.

Will Angel and Fernando let their hearts guide them?

*********************************************

Oh my goodness. Not enough cold showers in the world will save from this one. This was a novella that was beyond sexy. I loved this read a lot and I am overjoyed that this is a series. The ending made me very happy. I really enjoyed Angel. She loves her job and is very good at it. She is the Executive Vice President of Marketing at a big name company. Everything is great except for one thing; she has feelings for her boss. She doesn't want anyone else and that is a problem according to her friends. I loved Angel's attitude. She had me smiling a lot in this book. I especially loved when she filled out the questionnaire. Those questions would Her and her friends cracked me up. I hope to see more of them together. I love how her friend, Alexis, had given her invitation to Angel and that is what changes everything. If this Elite Classified existed, I would sign on. I love that this book followed from Angel's and Fernando's views. We see that Fernando has very strong feelings for Angel as well. He strangely gets an invitation to Elite Classified like Angel did, both of their friends decided to pass on their invitations to them. I loved how this book progressed. It didn't go the way I thought it would and that made me love it more. Also made it a little more realistic and not like an Adult version of Cinderella (although, I wouldn't mind that). I love the chemistry between Fernando and Angel. Every time they were in a room together, you can see the sparks fly.

I love this story. Just sexy as hell. I love how Elite Classified put things together for Angel. Elite Classified set up a very beautiful and elaborate vacation for Angel for her to live out her dreams. I love how this played out and what they did. It was so sexy and beautiful. If you are looking for a short and very sexy read, this is the perfect choice. The only complaint I have is that I wish it was longer. This was just pure magic. Quinn definitely has a new fan. I want more and I want it now. I will be reading this again and again until the sequel.

Gabby Sullivan learns
in college that some things are impossible to control, and whenever life
has spun out of control bad things seem to happen. She promises herself
that she’ll stay a safe distance from the top three culprits:

SexLoveRelationships

But some things are beyond control…

Gabby
handles her mom’s death and brother’s sudden abandonment just about as
well as anyone could at the age of twelve. Left feeling alone, she
finishes high school, developing a bit of a wild streak, and lives like
there’s no tomorrow. That is until an illness stops her in her tracks.
Learning to control life around her becomes her comfort. With a visible
scar that reminds her and the world that she beat the odds, it’s
impossible for her to put everything behind her, no matter how hard she
tries.

Right out of college she begins working at her family’s
company and buries herself in the safety of the corporate world. No
extra time, no life, no relationships. It’s safe to say she might be a
little demanding and overly ambitious. She’s got everything under
control, just how she likes it. After all, life is short.

Jason’s
been trying to piece his life together after a personal tragedy, only
it’s not working. He’s thrown himself into his work, but he’s only
becoming angrier. He’ll never forgive himself and doesn’t expect anyone
else to either.

When the back of his vehicle is clipped by an
obnoxious limo driver he can’t wait to let the driver have it until he
hears Gabby’s voice coming from inside the sedan. There’s something
soothing about it, something familiar.

The moment she sees him,
she knows her life will never be the same. But she doesn’t know why.
He’s everything she said she never wanted. He’s cocky, arrogant, and
infuriating. With his dazzling amber eyes, dark hair and chiseled
features she can hardly remember where she’s going, let alone where
she’s been and maybe that’s a good thing. She begins to let him show her
what life could be, if she really lived it.

Neither wants their
past to define their future, but sometimes destiny has something else in
store. It’s only as their love grows and secrets are revealed that they
realize a devastating connection from their past might actually tear
them apart.

*********************************************

About Karice Bolton

Karice Bolton is
a paranormal romance/urban fantasy author living in the Pacific
Northwest. All three books in The Watchers Trilogy are available now,
Awakening, Legions, and Cataclysm. Lonely Souls, which is the first book
in her new series Witch Avenue, was released in June 2012!